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| I have been struggling with how to put together a good fitness class as is required by my job (something involving "toning" and/or cardio), and I think it's primarily because I am not as sure of how the exercises ought to flow from one to the next. Yoga seems to make more sense to me, but of course I studied that for a much longer time before trying to put together a class! I just feel very unsure of myself in this realm, so I am wondering . . .
Have any of you (teachers or otherwise) ever put together a generic "fitness" class using the principles of yoga and how the poses integrate together? If so, how did that work out for you? I want to give it a try but I would so love some tips! |
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| I do a type of exercise developed by a lady named Callan Pickney. She calls her exercises Callanetics and they're great for toning. Even though I was not overweight when I started doing her exercises 10 years ago I toned down a dress size within a matter of weeks. The exercises take about 45 minutes and no equipment besides a ballet barre is needed. Callan had a video 10 years ago, not sure if she and her video are still around. Some of my friends thought she was really annoying on her video. For what it's worth... |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 5098
 
Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | Fifi, that is so funny. I used to do Callan Pickney exercises too!! This was back in 1987 and I used a book, no video back then for it. |
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| What did you think about Callan and her exercises? I really like them - still! I'll do a google search on her to find out the latest on her. I think she faded out because Callanetics and Pilates came out around the same time (to the masses) and more glamourous people do Pilates so Pilates won out. |
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| yes it worked for me and what I did was just do poses and like if you do a standing scorpion try to reach for yourleg your standing.  |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 5098
Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | *Fifi* - 2005-10-25 7:12 PM
What did you think about Callan and her exercises? I really like them - still! I'll do a google search on her to find out the latest on her. I think she faded out because Callanetics and Pilates came out around the same time (to the masses) and more glamourous people do Pilates so Pilates won out.
I used Callanetics after my son was born, almost 21 years ago, can you believe that??? Anyway, maybe you can, but I can't. Back then, Callanetics kicked my Butt after having a C-section and gaining over 65 pounds during pregnancy eating everything my body craved, which was mainly Strawberry Shortcakes and Fried Shrimp. In the neighborhood I lived in, everyone that had small children was doing this exercise program in their living rooms. It was the coolest thing back then. It would be interesting to do it again after all these years, but I have no books or video's. Do you think it would all come back to me or benefit after all these years??? and especially after I've been Bikramitized??? 
Edited by Cyndi 2005-10-27 11:14 PM
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| Hi I know I am a newbie to this forum. I just HAD to write a reply when I was reading about Callaanetics. I was only 14 years old when I started doing them. I stuck at this for 15 years and never felt better. I was really happy when the super Callanetics came along. I stopped doing it for a few years because I allowed depression and a few other things going on in my likfe get in the way of looking after myself. Well, I have started doing them again and WOW! They still work and are amazing. It does take effort to stick to doing them but so much better than time comsuming jumping up and down like a twit doing aerobics. (only my opinion i know!) My legs and thighs have slimmed down and I have lost 2 dress sizes already. I used to be a UK size 8 which is a size 4 here in USA. When I was depressed I got up to a size 12-14 UK 8-10 USA. Now I am getting my body back!
I HAVE tried Pilates and yes, they are good. However, I find that some of the excersises exert pressure on my spine and as I have a really bad back I cannot do some of these excercises. Yet, I can do the open and close (Callanetics) because the emphasis is on using the stomach muscles.
Doing these excersises has helped me to really wind down and relax. I have found that I am more flexible than ever and toned better than ever. I have a nice firm body thanks to Callan Pinkney. I wish we did hear from her because she has helped so many people protect their back. spines through her special excercises. There are no other exercises I know that make your bum/ rear end/ look so firm and hips look like they dissapear!
Thanks for letting me have my little say even though it is now 2006 and probably no one looks in this part!
haha!
p.s. please PM me if you have any info on Callan Pinkney! Thanks
Edited by shirqing 2006-01-10 9:54 AM
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| Hi, I just PM'd you. I don't have the whereabouts on Callan Pickney but I think we should find her and request a ressurection. Her exercises are genius.
One down side to Pilates is the cost. One hour of private instruction is $50.00 - that's for the reformers. As for Pilates mat classes, well, I'd rather do yoga or Callanetics. I don't find Pilates mat classes all that interesting or effective. Frankly, it's pretty boring to do stomach crunches for one whole hour. Besides, we have butts and hips and thighs to workout, too!
The reformers are the only thing that makes Pilates truly unique. If I had limitless $$$ I'd take Pilates reformers classes 4x week. But, as a normal person I don't have that kind of money to spend on exercising. With Callanetics you can see your body shrink. It's awesome. If you're reading this, Callan Pickney, you are wonderful and missed by many throughout the whole world!
Personally, I believe Pilates became the hot new workout since it costs so much and clever marketers pushed Pilates into mainstream vocabulary. And, movie stars do Pilates, which is a golden endorsment. They have the $$$ to do it 4 x week. |
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| *Fifi* - 2006-01-10 1:21 PM
One down side to Pilates is the cost. One hour of private instruction is $50.00 - that's for the reformers. As for Pilates mat classes, well, I'd rather do yoga or Callanetics. I don't find Pilates mat classes all that interesting or effective. Frankly, it's pretty boring to do stomach crunches for one whole hour.
Actually that's the reason I started taking it, to help firm up my abs. Once a week isn't too bad.
And, movie stars do Pilates, which is a golden endorsment. They have the $$$ to do it 4 x week.
Ugh! I almost consider hollywood to be a sort of anti-rolemodel. Otherwise I'd be sleeping with everything that moves, taking lots of drugs, and killing people for cutting me off in traffic.
That's just how I roll, yo!
Edited by GreenJello 2006-01-10 2:09 PM
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| The US media has made movie stars into demi-gods. How dangerous is that? I am appalled that Jessica the-blonde-girl-who's-last-name-I-forget is newsworthy. Don't even get me started on that walking STD, Paris Hilton.
aarrggggh! |
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| i think perhaps you should buy my extensive six-week programme of "Tribal Yoga FuLates (TM)." In this unique fitness program, you get all the cardio benefits of "tribal" african dance and hip hop moves, combined with the stretching benefits of yoga, the strengthening benefits of martial arts, and the core work of pilates.
For a mere $29.99 in four installments, you recieve a complete Tribal Yoga FuLates (TM) video series that takes you from beginner to advanced--a routine you can do throughout your lifetime. You'll also recieve the companion workbook which gives detailed sections about how great I am for developing this program, and how great this program is for you!
If you order now, you'll also recieve the free gift of the specialized Tribal Yoga FuLates (TM) dietary program for optimal results. This specialized program includes a recipe book, a food diary, and many wonderful pictures of me to keep you inspired on your path to perfect Tribal Yoga FuLates wellness!
And if you really order now, you'll also recieve a free Tribal Yoga FuLates (TM) Music CD that you can take with you anywhere you want to practice your Tribal Yoga FuLates (TM)--the beach, the mall, even your mother-in-laws! In fact, whereever you strike out your amazing Tribal Yoga FuLates (TM) moves, you'll likely draw a crowd, and fellow Tribal Yoga FuLates (TM) practitioners will join you!
And that's not all Tribal Yoga FuLates (TM) has a money-back guarentee! If this complete system doesn't work for you within 90 days, you return everything unopened and you'll recieve a full refund!
How can you beat a deal like that? Call now!
Tee hee.
Otherwise, i think basic aerobics moves--from watching tapes or wahtever--ending with a yoga/stretching section--would probably do nicely. |
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| Is it on DVD?!
*runs to Amazon*
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| It is very tempting to try and imitate the "moviestar" exercise and diet regimes because they all had such perfect bodies. But, most of them also work several hours a day with a trainer and have a personal dietician or chef. It's a lifestyle that's not very realistic for most of us! Even that is not enough for most of them - look at all the workout videos that Jane Fonda sold, and she recently came out and admitted to having a bad eating disorder at the time she filmed those. Nowadays almost all of them have plastic surgery too!
Even after all that, hours of makeup and photo-retouching go into the product we actually see. If you ran into a moviestar at the grocery store wearing sweats and no makeup, most of them would probably not even turn your head. |
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| my husband and i were talking about that recently in regards to various health standards.
my husband pointed out that most of the guys in 'muscle and fitness' and body building magazines directed at men are steroidal. the only way to get 'that look' is through steroids, but it's never overtly stated. It says "if you do this workout or this movement, you'll look like this." while the movement may do a lot for the muscle development, you won't necessarily look like the guy in the picture--unless you use steroids like he does.
my husband noted that the same is true of many women's magazines, but in a sort of 'opposite direction.' they often talk about the 'star's diets and training secrets' and the models demonstrating (if not the stars themselves) are young, ectomorphic, non-muscular girls who are not coming to the movement as fitness people or as people who are of the 'avergae' shape of people. And, on top of that, a lot of stars will say "i ate a raw foods diet and worked out with my trainer for 2 hours a day" when in fact, it was that AND thousands of dollars of various forms of plastic surgery. But, the plastic surgery is completely left aside. So, in a sense, there's 'no way' to look like these women UNLESS you're under 20 and ectomorphic OR you have lots of plastic surgery.
Kinda interesting, no?
But, i also think that it's false to say that stars (in general) live this way or that way. Most of them work out for one hour or less a day--by their own admission--and often they alternate between regimes--2-3 days of weights, cardio every day, and 2-3 days of yoga or pilates (in my experience). A lot of PTs in CA have certifications in yoga and pilates as well as PT. This helps them train their clients daily (earning that income), while still meeting the basic needs/wants of their clients. Also, most 'stars' don't have personal chefs, but their employers (the companies that they work for) have craft services which will cater to the individual dietary needs of their clients--which basicly means there are often 'general cast' tables of food, general crew tables of food, and then higher ups (stars, directors, etc) get specialized meals if they ask for them. it's considered 'good form' on the part of a 'star' to eat from the 'general cast' tables. thus, craft services often puts out foods from various diets (raw, vegetarian, zone, atkins, south beach) on these tables so that the stars can maintain their spcialized diets without seeming separate from the rest of the case.
the rest of us dont' get these kinds of perks at work, but when you're often working 18 hour days to film something that costs hundreds of millions of dollars, and often doing things that aren't as much fun as you might think, you certainly do need to be fed.
Make no mistake, the lives of famous actors and actresses are not easy. They work hard, and when they earn alot (and few do), they spend it on grand vacations. I dare say they deserve it. |
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| Uh, you're kidding, right?
Many regular people work 18 hours days - they're called single parents.
Ok, maybe Jim Carrey IS worth $20 million per movie.
I wish Jennifer Aniston would stop making (bad) movies. I want good memories of her on Friends.
I think school teachers should be paid as much as movie stars. |
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| zoebird - 2006-01-10 7:00 PM
Kinda interesting, no?
Actually I was thinking it was sad. This is another reason I really don't care for Hollywood. All the impossible to reach stuff that's represented as being normal, or easily attainable. With all the movies and TV that most people watch they get a very distorted view of what's normal. BTW, I haven't watched TV in months, anybody else?
the rest of us dont' get these kinds of perks at work, but when you're often working 18 hour days to film something that costs hundreds of millions of dollars, and often doing things that aren't as much fun as you might think, you certainly do need to be fed.
I used to get this sort of treatment when I was working at a dot bomb. Frankly I'm much happier with my current employer who buys lunch once a month, and lets me go home while I can still see the sun.
Make no mistake, the lives of famous actors and actresses are not easy. They work hard, and when they earn alot (and few do), they spend it on grand vacations. I dare say they deserve it.
You missed the lack of privacy, incredible competition, inherent insecurity of their jobs, and the necessity of looking absolutely stunning at all times. I would NOT want to be a Hollywood star for anything. (I'm sure they'd say the same thing about being a rogue software engineer)
Edited by GreenJello 2006-01-10 7:34 PM
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| When I was a teenager, I read all kinds of these types of magazines and took their advice to heart. I don't remember most of it, but I distinctly recall Ally Sheedy saying "I just walk or ride my bike everywhere, that's how I stay slim." Fifteen years later, she admits that she stayed slim via bulimia and drugs. I thought "Wow, all those miles I biked and walked. No wonder I never got that thin!"
That's the thing about the Fonda tapes too. She revolutionized women's fitness. The message was "Be fit and healthy by doing these exercises." It took over 20 years for her to admit that she too was bulimic throughout that phase in her life. Women everywhere did her tapes hoping to attain the perfect body - not realizing that task would also involve a very serious and life-threatening eating disorder.
This is not to say that a working actor's life is especially easy. Nobody's life is easy. I take no issue with the actors who are put in an impossible situation with their public image. I take HUGE issue with the media making it sound like these bodies are accessible to Mr. & Mrs. Working Family. For instance, they say Jennifer Aniston has a perfect body, and that she does Pilates and eats a strict Zone diet. But Pilates and the Zone is not going to make Mrs. Average Working Mom look like Jennifer Aniston. Maybe she really does have an extremely disciplined approach to her health, which is admirable but difficult to find time for when your job doesn't revolve around how your body looks. Or, maybe in 20 years she'll wind up admitting that she had some other problem that will make all the Pilates-Zone devotees feel pretty stupid, the way I did with Ally Sheedy's walking plan (hey, I was just a kid!).
For the record, I would NEVER want to have a job that revolved around how my body looked. How stressful that must be! It's hard enough being a fitness instructor and having people look to me as a healthy example. It puts a different spin on those pizza and beer cravings!
In the fitness center we all have a big problem with magazines that demo exercises using ectomorphic teenage models, as you said. Even though Shape and Self often have well-balanced articles and good beginner workout ideas, the photos don't send a healthy message to our average overweight member that already has unrealistic expectations of how they want to look. We work really hard to get them to focus on gaining functional strength and a healthy lifestyle. The one we do like is Women's Health, which is relatively new. The models are VERY fit, with obvious (though not bulky) musculature. The workout ideas are usually intermediate or advanced, but they have realistic training plans for beginners to get there. I'm a fan! |
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| I read somewhere that 10% of the population has an ectomorphic build. That's not a big percentage. I wonder who decided that the ectomorphic body was the ideal? Just remember - ectoporphs usually have big hands and feet - hee hee hee
I think one of the main things that separates Working Mom from, ok let's take Jennifer Aniston since we all really like her but we're tired of hearing about her... is time. People at Jennifer Aniston's level can work out 2-6 hours a day and then REST. We have to go to work, pick up our kids, go to committee meetings, teach yoga, or go grocery shopping. I'm sure Madonna gets a killer Thai massage after her 2 hour Ashtanga practice, then eats a wonderfully prepared organic, mirco-carb lunch. And I bet she squeezes in a nap before her facial later in the afternoon.
But, all in all the average joe lives a more fulfilling life with sacrifice and struggle and hopes and dreams. The most beautiful people I've met didn't have perfect bodies and blinding white teeth. Besides, time always wins out. When beauty fades what is one left with? I would never trade places with any of the famous people.
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Expert Yogi
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| I am glad that we didn't know those stars were bulimic. I mean, how much harm did it do us to do all that biking and walking? Probably more good than today's 14 year old trying to emulate her favourite star by bingeing and purging.
My DD had size 10 feet by the time she was 10 years old. She was also nearly as tall as her brother, who was over 2 years older and built more like her dad (think non-juiced up baseball player. Big. Strong like bull.) And she loved her dance classes with thin, willowy, elegant young women that she idolized. I worried quite a bit back then. Luckily, her real love affair in this life has been with food and nothing was going to keep her away from that:-) She will spend a whole day cooking "for fun" then haul out her old Jane Fonda tapes (it is a TRIP lookng at the 80's workout wear - and the HAIR!) and just go crazy on the step and full impact aerobics. And apparently she just got a job as a bike courier so that should keep her fit and still let her eat  |
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| Terry Gross did an interview with Lar Ulrich once. During the interview she asked him what he enjoyed most about being in a band like Metallica. His reply was it was the ability to get up in front of 10,000 screaming fans and say "Hey, I'm not having a very good day today." Then when he got up in front of 10,000 screaming fans in another city and said "Hey, I'm having a kicking time", they knew he really ment it. |
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| Fonda was the reason I started exercising. She was bulimic even then?
Man, that's a kick in the pants. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I developed such a good habit, but ****...she was the benchmark I measured myself by. |
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| EXACTLY my point - I'm not mad that I exercised, but I feel like I was sold a bill of goods.
But, I'm pretty gullible.  |
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| *Fifi* - 2006-01-10 9:43 PM
I think one of the main things that separates Working Mom from, ok let's take Jennifer Aniston since we all really like her but we're tired of hearing about her... is time. People at Jennifer Aniston's level can work out 2-6 hours a day and then REST. We have to go to work, pick up our kids, go to committee meetings, teach yoga, or go grocery shopping. I'm sure Madonna gets a killer Thai massage after her 2 hour Ashtanga practice, then eats a wonderfully prepared organic, mirco-carb lunch. And I bet she squeezes in a nap before her facial later in the afternoon.
i don't know about jennifer aniston's or madonna's particular schedules, but we do have to look at what is really going on. I'll give you the schedule of 'day in the life of a professional screenwriter' and you'll get an idea of the sort of work that they do.
5:30 am to 6:45 am--prose writing and idea formulation (free-form writing), reading contracts and prepping materials, working on proposals.
7:30 to 8:30 am--walk the dogs and hike or some other form of exercise.
8:30 am tol 10:30 am--phone calls and/or meetings with industry professionals (may involve travel to offices or sets, etc)
10:30 am until 12:30 pm--screenwriting time
1:30 to 4:30--screen writing time which may also include more time with industry professionals working on story ideas or simply selling one's talent to get a job.
4:30 to 5:30--exercise
6:30 to 8:30--errands, cleaning, emails, phone calls, dinner/parties with agents/industry folks/etc
8:30 to 10:30--family/home time
10:30 to 11:30--snail mail, reading time
This is from a FT screenwriter who also has kids (two daughters), and also travels to be 'onset' for months at a time--away from family--so that they're available to write whenever necessary for the film project.
Our friends who are TV writers are a bit more stable, except those writing for Lost who are on a rotation to go to Hawaii for script consultation (Which is usually handled by the lead writer anyway, but they sort of 'intern through' their stable of writers, most of whom are based in burbank). But, the TV writers are expected to work a sort of 8 hour day--as in an office--and then often work on their own projects (tv, movies, or assignments that they may have gotten) in the evenings. Many of them also have families.
Now, you can compare that to my friend the film actor (not well known, character actor) who is 'on the set' for much of the year (usually 3-4 months of the year) and does theater work, predominently, for the rest of the year. HIs days (and he has a family) look like this:
for films:
call time is usually 5 am for hair and make up. Arrive on set at 5 am for dressing. depending upon the type of film, dressing can take 15-20 minutes or 3-4 hours.
filming begins usually around 7 or 9, unless it's a nite shoot, which has it's own difficulties. but, lets assume it's a day shoot. A lot of the day is spent rehearsing, then shooting, then repeatedly shooting the same scenes over and over--often getting 'redone' continually. But, another aspect of it is like watching paint dry, as some things have to be 'reset' and 'resetting' can take an hour or more if something is 'off' or whatever.
usually, they're served breakfast at 5:30 am, and then the next break is lunch around 12 or 1. Then, it's back to hair and make up to be 'redone' for a while before setting up for the next bunch of scenes to be done over the next 4-5 hours. Then, it's dinner.
Usually, while 'paint is drying' (during resets) actors are given an estimate of how long that will take. If they're not 'on location' and they're on a lot, then they can take off costume, go to the on-site gym, yoga class, or whatever, and be back for hair/make up by a certain time. Actors in heavy costume are not allowed to leave the set. If they're 'on location' often there are onsite professionals (yoga teachers, PTs, etc), who cater to the needs of all the people 'on set' (cast, crew, everyone) as time allows.
After 6, there's another meal, and then sometimes there are even more scenes to be taken. Filming may go until 11 or 12 at nite, having moved through 2 crews (as crew reports to set 2 hours before 'call'--that's 3 am--and wouldn't leave until 1-2 hours after the final shot for the nite--which would be midnite or 2 am. this was creating dangerous conditions for crew--and so their guilds and unions worked it out that crews only work 10 hour days. so, there are now shifts of crews, and multiple crews if there are multiple filming sites at one time).
The screenwriter is onset from call to close. the PT/Yoga/Whatever is on set from 9 am to 9 pm on average (and it's usually more than one person throughout the day, taking 4 hour 'shifts' and potentially not actually working at all, but being ready to work if someone has the time for a class then).
Theater actors have it a bit different, but their lives are also not leisurely.
ANother thing to think about is the way actors work. And then how after filming, there are a lot of other elements like weeks on press tours and junkets, working 10 to 12 hours a day talking to people asking the same questiosn over and over for those little film bites that we see on TV or hear on the radio--and doing things like Jay Leno and what not. Not to mention the fact that actors also have to market themselves, go to events to 'be seen' (usually set up by publicists), and also have to go to all required movie/studio events to 'be seen' as an aspect of the film's publicity.
many actors/actresses also have their own production companies, which is another thing of work altogether.
And to give an example of most actors/writers/producers, they do actually work 12 months of the year and most of them do have families and children. For example, JJ abrams, creator of Lost and Alias (screen writer/producer), works on Lost from August until April, and then from May through July, works on film projects such as directing Mission Impossible 3 with Tom Cruise. So, JJ didn't exactly get a 'vacation' this year--and he still had all the conventions and press opportunities, and all of the requisite publicity stuff that needed to be done in regards to both his TV show AND his movie stuff.
Most of the people "in the industry" whom i know or know of work very hard, 12 months of the year, sometimes 6 or 7 days a week, and still have families (with or without day care services such as nannies).
it is false to think that they are doing 2 hours of yoga, 3 hours of PT, and getting a thai mssage and getting to rest throughout their days. Most of these people--including people like jennifer anniston are hard working people who have a lot to do.
and, it takes a lot of work to look good. They sneak in their workouts like we do--except they don't have to go to a gym because they can afford (or their contract includes--which is most often the case) bringing the gym to them when it is most convenient. knowing yoga teachers who work 'in the industry' as well, they say having actor-clients are the hardest because they can hardly schedule anything and want you at really odd hours like 4 am before call or 11 pm after they've finished a day of press conferences. If it's hard on a yoga teacher to show up then, how hard can it be on them?
also, many of them choose somehting like yoga or pilates that they can do on their own--that way they dont' need someone there all the time to guide them through the process. they don't have to pay for it this way, and they stay in great shape. I know that Tea Leoni does yoga for about 2 hours a day and also takes a 30 minute run. That's her 'work out' and she usually does it while 'on set' and she and her husband, David Duchovney (sp?) switch between working and taking care of their children primarily (meaning, he'll be on set working, she'll be home with the kids, and then they'll switch).
they have terribly difficult schedules to organize. and i think that we have the wrong impression about what they do and how they manage it.
and eating disorders are common because of the strain to 'look great.' almost all of the people i know in the industry who are in the spot light are constantly calorie restricted--eating no more than 1300 to 1500 calories a day. If most people restricted--regardless of diet--they'd likely be thinner. if they exercised regularly on top of that, then they'd be incredibly lean.
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| Many people have commented on how lucky Oprah is to have a personal trainer and chef. She counters by reminding them that SHE still has to be the one to drag her butt out of bed and around the track every morning.
I tell ya, I wouldn't want that pressure to be a perfect size 4. Remember Kate Winslet during the "Titanic" craze? I thought she was beautiful and was stunned when the big buzz about her was her weight. What weight?! She was normal, and a good looking, curvy normal at that.
Eventually size 4 and 2 won't do it anymore, and actresses will be fighting to be skeletal. Then they'll start dropping like flies. I look at Pam Anderson and think, "Christ, what does she go through to maintain that?!" Her looks are her whole gimmick, her big selling point! She has to keep it up or her career suffers. Plus you just know if things went south for Pam and she lost even a teeny bit of her perfect image, it would be discussed (in some cases, gleefully) in tabloids, magazines and by VH1's smarta$$ comedians.
The whole thing is crappy...for all of us. And I'm still a little ticked at Jane. |
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| Kabu - 2006-01-12 10:37 AMRemember Kate Winslet during the "Titanic" craze? I thought she was beautiful and was stunned when the big buzz about her was her weight. What weight?! She was normal, and a good looking, curvy normal at that.
She's stunning.
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